T-Shirts Hang Out Against Sexual Violence

Students passing by the Science Center this week will notice a group of t-shirts hanging from clotheslines as a symbol of solidarity in response to sexual violence against women.

The Clothesline Project—an initiative organized by the Office of Sexual Assault Prevention and Response in light of Sexual Assault Awareness Month—offers women the opportunity to decorate a shirt and hang it in public to raise awareness of sexual violence.

“It’s a beautiful way of raising awareness,” said Sarah A. Rankin, director of OSAPR, which is sponsoring the month-long slate of events. “It can be very cathartic for survivors to share their story through artistic expression.”

Shannon E. Cleary ’12, an OSAPR volunteer who helped organize the Project, said that telling stories through artwork can help survivors of sexual violence to “let out all the emotions ranging from guilt to fear, from regret to anger, from helplessness to hope for the future” in an anonymous and supportive environment.

“It gives survivors a safe space to express their stories, gives everyone a way to show their support for ending violence against women, and publicizes to the community that this violence happens here and we want it to stop,” Cleary said.

Julia H. Nunan-Saah ’11, an OSAPR volunteer and an organizer of the Clothesline Project, said that the initiative allows survivors to find support from those around them.

“For survivors, making a t-shirt with their story and having it displayed in a public area with other survivors’ stories hung nearby shows that there is a community of support,” Nunan-Saah said. “It’s important for them to remain anonymous, but still have their story heard.”

The Clothesline Project—a nation-wide program that began 20 years ago—not only offers an important resource and a creative outlet for survivors of sexual assault, but also situates the issue of violence against women (particularly on college campuses) in a public space that people cannot ignore, said volunteers at OSAPR.

For example, a tourist may stop to take a picture of the t-shirts, or students may engage in spontaneous discussions about the laundry hanging near the Yard.

“Once people realize what the project is all about, I think—or at least hope—that they realize the extent of this problem and feel inspired to help,” said Cleary, adding that such help could come in the form of volunteering, talking to friends about the Clothesline Project, or even making the choice not to laugh at a joke that makes light of sexual violence.

“Even walking by the Clothesline Project helps survivors know that they are not alone and have support from their community,” Cleary said.

—Staff writer Alice E. M. Underwood can be reached at aeunderw@fas.harvard.edu.